The BackUp Plan
by dancinequestrian
Summary: Hermione and Ron make a deal to marry each other if they haven't found their "perfect mates" by the time they're 25. What happens when someone else enters the scene, someone whom Hermione would have least expected to fill that position? Please R&R!
1. Prologue

**Please read the authors notes at the beginning and end of this chapter!**

**A/N: Hey everyone!! I decided to start a new story, and I'm really excited about this one. A fresh new start for me, so to speak. I know I should be working on Take Me or Leave Me right now, which I will, but I was really eager to start this. I'm just going to give you guys this one chapter, and then I'm going to finish TMLM since there are only two chapters or so left, and then come back to this and History of Magic. So, please read and Review!**

The Back-Up Plan

Prologue:

Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley watched as the bride glided down the aisle to her husband-to-be with a look of pure love and adoration on her face. Hermione smiled at the sight, somewhat envious of what two of her best friends had, and wished that she had someone that would look at her in the same way. Harry and Ginny were so young, yet they knew exactly what they wanted from their lives, and that they wanted to be together.

Hermione's mind started to drift off to the past relationships she had had, and thought about whether or not they had had some potential to lead to something more, like marriage.

First was Viktor Krum. No, there was no way that could have led to anything more. She had been so young when she met him – only 14 years old. As sweet as Viktor was, his Quidditch schedule would have been a major problem, and Hermione did not want to worry about a long distance relationship. Also, she suspected that Viktor might have gotten a little bored with her, considering that he was used to having different beauties on his arm every week.

Then came Ronald. As Hermione looked across the altar to where Ron was standing next to Harry, she shook the thought away. The two had gotten together after the war, and although she had felt secure and loved during the relationship, she wasn't quite sure if she was _in love_ with him. Ronald had been sweet and kind towards her, but she hadn't felt any spark or that sexual tension that tended to ooze from couples that were truly physically and emotionally attracted to each other. The two had mutually decided to take a break, and after a month of awkardness, were back to being best friends again.

About a month after that came Nicholas Huntington. His family was of noble and pure blood, and had never really let Hermione forget it while they were dating. They went out for two years, and had even gotten to the stage of betrothal, until Hermione found him in bed with a prostitute. Needless to say, that caused quite a bit of scandal in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds, and the bloke fled to some foreign country without so much as a goodbye. These events had occurred within the last couple of weeks, and although one part of her heart said that men were scum, the other part longed to be loved.

Hermione's attention flew back to the ceremony in front of her, and quickly handed Ginny Harry's wedding band.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride!" The minister said, and Hermione watched as Harry and Ginny shared a passionate kiss and proceeded to walk back down the aisle.

Ron met Hermione at the altar and tucked her arm under his, and followed the newly married couple down the aisle.

"You okay?" Ron asked discreetly.

Hermione looked at him. "Yeah, why?"

"You seemed to have spaced out during the ceremony."

"Oh. I was just thinking about Harry and Ginny and how happy I am for them." Hermione lied.

"Ok, well try to have fun tonight. It's their wedding reception. And who knows, there might be a hot guy here looking to go home with a bridesmaid tonight."

"Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed in a whisper, slapping his arm.

"Calm down! I was just kidding." Ron said with a smirk on his face, as he led her into the next room where the reception would be held.

Hermione rolled her eyes. The two sat down at the head table, each on either side of Harry and Ginny.

"Congratulations, you two! I'm so happy for you." Hermione said, squeezing Harry's arm.

"Thanks, Mia. I can't believe that it has finally happened," Harry replied.

"Did you see your aunt and uncle and Dudley?"

"Yeah, I did. I didn't expect them to come, and I sure as hell didn't want them here, but I just sent them an invitation to be polite."

"Yeah but you should go and greet them, _just to be polite._"

"I will," Harry said. "After I've had a whole load of champagne and am utterly wasted."

"Harry James Potter, you are not going to get wasted on our wedding night." Ginny reprimanded.

"I was just kidding, Gin. Don't worry." Harry replied, somewhat scared.

"It is now time for the bride and groom's first dance." The lead singer of the band announced.

Harry and Ginny stood up gracefully.

"Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter!"

As the newlywed couple stepped onto the dance floor, the band started playing.

"_Everybody wants to be loved_

_Every once in a while_

_We all need someone to hold on to_

_Just like a helpless child_

_Can you whisper in my ear?_

_Let me know it's alright_

_It's been a long time coming down this road_

_And now I know what I've been waiting for_

_And like a lonely highway, I'm trying to get home_

_Ooh, love's been a long time coming._

"Others may now join the couple on the dance floor," The singer said.

"Would you like to dance, Hermione?" Ron said, holding out his hand.

She nodded and took his hand.

_You can look for a lifetime_

_You can love for a day_

_You can think you've got everything_

_But everything is nothing when you throw it away_

_Yeah, then you look in my eyes_

_And I have it all, once again._

_It's been a long time coming down this road_

_And now I know what I've been waiting for_

_Just like a lonely highway, I'm trying to get home_

_Ooh, love's been a long time coming._

Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder, trying not to feel depressed. It was supposed to be the happiest day of her best friends' lives, but she couldn't help it. She felt as if she would never have what they had. She didn't think herself pretty or sexy. She was still the bookworm Granger that she had been at Hogwarts. Her hair had been tamed and had become more manageable, but she thought herself as plain, and didn't think that there was any one else out there who could be attracted to her.

Tears started to fill her eyes, but she quickly tried to wipe them away.

_No Hermione. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. _Hermione reprimanded herself.

Ron pulled back slightly to look at Hermione's face. "Hey, what's wrong, Mia?" Ron asked, concerned.

"It's nothing. I'm just being silly," she said, wiping her tears.

"It's not nothing. You are the strongest person I know. If you're crying about something, I need to know what it is so I can help you fix it."

"I just – I can't help but think that I'll never have what Harry and Ginny have."

"What? How'd you figure that?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. I'm just being silly."

"Mia, listen to me. You will fall in love with someone and you will get married to that person one day. Hell, I don't even know if I'm gonna have that. With all my failed relationships? I'd be lucky to stick with a girl for a month!

"How about, we make a deal? In the next couple of years, by the time we're 25, if we both haven't married someone yet, we'll marry each other. We love each other, we can make it work. What say you?"

Hermione smiled through her tears. "Deal." She kissed him on the cheek and rested her head on his shoulder once more.

**A/N: Ok, so there it is! It's kind of short, but then again it's only the prologue. I know that people usually make this "deal" when they hit 30 or 40, but I wanted to make the characters younger in this story. And let's just say that since they turned adults at 17, they go into this panic mode a lot earlier than us mere Muggles do, if you get what I mean. Please REVIEW! : )**

Oh and the song is called "Long Time Coming" by Oliver James.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully the updates shouldn't take too long after this! : ) Please read and review!

The BackUp Plan

Chapter 1:

Five years later…

Hermione Granger stepped into Diagon Alley, eager to get her shopping done. She had always loved this shopping district with its vibrant colors and the constant hustle and bustle- it always cheered her up and reminded her of the very first time she had set foot in the Wizarding world.

She checked her beeper to make sure it was off, not wanting to be called in to work on her one, very rare holiday. Being a mediwitch was obviously very demanding work, and she barely ever had a break. Although she was in the employment of St. Mungo's, her main work was with the Auror office because of the (needless-to-say) sky-high risk of injury in that field. Harry, head of the Auror department, had asked her to take that position, in order to reap the benefits of having an exceptionally talented Healer and witch on the team.

Stepping into Madame Malkin's, Hermione was nervous and excited at the same time. In five days, she would finally be a married woman. There had been a nagging feeling in her stomach all week, but she had constantly pushed it aside. Her wedding was going to be the one of the most important days of her life, and she couldn't wait. After finishing her errands, Hermione was to meet her fiancé at the Three Broomsticks. She hadn't seen him in the last couple of weeks since he had been on a business trip, and was truly looking forward to their reunion.

Stepping up to the counter, Hermione greeted Madame Malkin with a kind smile. "I'm back again," Hermione said teasingly. "Sick of me yet?"

"Oh dear Hermione, you are a most pleasant customer. I could never tire of you." Madame Malkin replied with a smile. "You must try on the dress one more time to make sure it fits perfectly. We cannot have you not fitting into it on the morning of your wedding."

"Very true." Hermione took the dress and disappeared behind a curtain to change.

As she walked out, a gasp was heard. "You look beautiful, my dear!" Madame Malkin said. "It fits perfectly! You will be a vision!"

"Thank you," Hermione blushed, looking at herself in the mirror, admiring the way the dress hugged her curves.

A bell rang, signaling the arrival of another customer. Hermione felt the cool breeze from outside as the door opened, and looked over at who had just stepped inside.

"Wow," He whispered, his eyes traveling up and down her body, and finally making eye contact with Hermione. "If it isn't the dear old bookworm, all grown up."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "And if it isn't the amazing bouncing ferret -," she looked him up and down and smirked, "But I wouldn't say 'all grown up'."

Draco Malfoy frowned at her, glaring, but quickly wiped it away. "So, who's the lucky man that gets to be tied down to you for the rest of his life?"

"That, Malfoy, is none of your business."

"Oh, come on, Granger. Tell me his name! I want to send him my condolences!"

Needless to say, the war had not changed Malfoy significantly. He was still the arrogant, pig-headed, selfish git he had been at school, albeit without the Pureblood ideology.

Hermione glared at him before going back behind the curtain and changing out of the dress. Ignoring him, she walked to the counter and paid for the dress, thanking Madame Malkin profusely for all the work she had done on it.

"It was my pleasure, dear. You look beautiful in that dress. It was all worth it." She smiled and waved her out of the shop.

"Have a good life, Granger." Malfoy said, almost sincerely.

Hermione walked away without a second glance. Malfoy smirked and watched as she sauntered away.

DMHGDMHG

A few hours later, Hermione finally finished her errands, and was utterly exhausted. She walked into the Three Broomsticks, and dropped down in a chair, leaning her head against the back of it, momentarily closing her eyes.

She felt a warm breath on her cheek, followed by a chaste kiss.

Opening her eyes, she smiled as she saw her fiancé, Anthony Bradford. The two had met at Harry's birthday party two years ago. Harry had introduced the two of them, and they had instantly hit it off, and started conversing animatedly about many different topics, magical or otherwise. He had been quite the ladies' man, but he was also quite the gentleman, and was one of the few people who had Hermione's absolute and complete trust. They were first and foremost friends; only after that came the physical attraction and love.

"Anthony! How was your trip?" Hermione asked excitedly as he sat down opposite from her.

"It was… okay, I guess. It was just business. We sealed our business deal." He said tiredly.

"I'm so proud of you, baby! You must be exhausted." She said sympathetically.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"So, everything for the wedding is set. I picked up my dress today." She said, giddily.

Anthony nodded and took a sip of his drink.

"And you couldn't seem to care less. What's wrong, Anthony?" Hermione asked concernedly.

Anthony sighed. "Hermione, we need to talk."

That did not sound good. He only called her by her full name when he was totally serious about something. Usually he called her 'Mia' or 'sweetheart'.

"Ok, I'm listening."

"Over the past six months or so, I have been starting to realize something about myself. I wasn't quite sure at first, but in the last few weeks, it just started to get clearer and clearer."

"Anthony, what is it? Spit it out. You're scaring me."

"I…think - no, I'm sure – that I might possibly be…although I don't really know why, considering our relationship… gay."

Hermione choked on her drink and started coughing. Once she had stopped she looked at him with wide eyes. "What? How could – I mean, are you sure?"

Anthony nodded grimly.

"But what about us? You're not attracted to me? We were supposed to be married in five days!"

"Mia, I _was_ attracted to you, but now my attraction for women in general has gone down significantly."

Hermione put her head in her arms. "Oh my lord. I can't believe this is happening."

"I'm sorry, Mia."

"Well, there's nothing you can do about it. I don't know what to say, though. Congratulations? I'm really happy that you figured this all out and all, but I must admit it is really hard for me to process. I think I need to be alone for a while."

"I understand."

"I have to start canceling our wedding." Hermione said, tears starting to flow down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Mia." Anthony said, reaching over to wipe them away.

Hermione pushed his hands away. "Anthony, I just need to be alone right now. I don't hate you or anything – it's just that the love of my life told me he's not attracted to me anymore and can't marry me. I just need time."

"I understand. Don't be a stranger, Mia." He walked out, but not without casting a sad glance back at Hermione once more.

DMHGDMHG

Just an hour later could find Hermione Granger, drunk, with her head resting on the table, signaling for another firewhiskey. Madame Rosmerta, having know Hermione and her friends since they were thirteen, immediately called Ginny and Harry inside when she saw them walking by outside.

"She's utterly drunk. I don't know exactly what happened, but she's been sad and depressed for the last hour, and has been ordering firewhiskey after firewhiskey." Madame Rosmerta said, looking pityingly at Hermione.

"Was she with someone earlier?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, a man – tall, brown hair, green eyes."

"It must've been Anthony, her fiancé," Harry replied.

Ginny walked over to Hermione and sat down. "Mia? It's me, Ginny."

"Gin!" Hermione said, looking up, her eyes glazed over. "What are you doing heeeeere?" She slurred.

"We're here for you, Mia. What happened? Why are you drinking so much?"

"Oh, it's nothing! I jussss have ta canccccel my weddin' issss allll."

"What!?" Harry shouted.

"Don' shout so loooouuuud." Hermione pressed her hands over her ears.

"Sorry. Come on, let's get you home." Harry whispered. He handed some money to Madame Rosmerta and picked Hermione up, carrying her bridal style.

"Let's take her home with us, Harry. I don't think she should be alone tonight."

Harry nodded in agreement, and apparated home with Hermione in his arms.

DMHGDMHGDMHG

The next morning, Hermione woke up with a pounding headache. She looked around and found herself in the guest bedroom at Ginny and Harry's house.

Going into the adjoining bathroom, she promptly opened the medicine cabinet to find a hangover potion, and quickly downed half of it. She rinsed her face and brushed her teeth before going into the kitchen.

Ginny was making breakfast while Harry was sitting at the table reading the newspaper.

"Morning, sunshine." Harry said, smiling wryly at Hermione.

"Good morning," She said weakly.

"How are you doing, Mia?" Ginny asked.

"Not so good. How much did I have to drink last night?"

"I'd say about oh, ten firewhiskeys -," Harry said casually.

"That's why -,"

"Within one hour."

"Crap."

"Yeah." Ginny said. "What happened?"

"The wedding is off."

"Why?"

"Apparently, I manage to repulse men so much that they find it necessary to turn to other men for comfort and stimulation."

"Mia! That's not true!" Ginny said. "Harry, tell her that's not true!"

"That's not true, Hermione." Harry said, obediently.

"You are a beautiful girl, and any guy would be lucky to have you. What happened with Anthony was a fluke."

"I don't know, guys. I'm having so much bad luck with men. What if I'm just meant to end up an old maid?"

"Hermione Granger, don't you ever say that again. You will find the man of your dreams, one that would kill to marry you." Ginny replied.

"You just have to remember that sometimes you have to kiss many frogs before you find your prince." Harry said.

Hermione smiled at that. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate what you've done for me."

"Anything for you, Mia. Now come eat your breakfast." Ginny smiled. "Harry, can I talk to you for a moment?"

The two walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"What, Gin?"

"I have an idea."

"Oh, lord. Not again."

**A/N: There it is! I hope you liked it! Please review!!!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I am so disgusted with how long it took me to update. I'm sorry – I've been really overwhelmed with school, then famiy, and a whole bunch of other crap, and I had really bad writer's block too. I won't make you wait so long anymore! Please read and review!**

Chapter 2:

Today was the day. The day she was supposed to get married.

Hermione lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and let out a sigh. Rolling over, she looked at the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table.

11:11 a.m.

Make a wish, Hermione.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made a wish. _If only that would actually come true,_ she thought, throwing the comforter off of herself, and getting out of bed. Hermione trudged over to the bathroom, one that had His and Hers amenities, and which made her all the more depressed.

As she washed her face, she heard the door to her bedroom being thrown open, and a very vivacious redhead announcing her presence. "I have arrived!" Ginny Potter flounced her way to Hermione.

"You are way too cheery right now," Hermione grumbled, drying her face with a towel. "It's annoying me."

"Oh come on, Mia! Today, we are going to have so much fun! First, I'm going to take you shopping, and then we're going to go to the spa, and then we're going to have lunch, and then we'll probably meet up with Luna and Mandy, and then…,"

"Jesus, Ginny, slow down!"

"Well, I'm sorry Mia. Can't I be excited that I get to spend the day with you?" Ginny pouted.

"No, you're just trying to distract me."

"Distract you? Whatever from, Mia?" Ginny asked innocently.

"You know very well what from, Ginevra Potter." Hermione said, wiping her face with a towel.

"Look, I just don't want you to think too much about it. I hate seeing you so sad."

"I appreciate your concern Gin, but I'm fine. I swear."

"And I believe you, I really do. But I am seriously just looking forward to spending the day with the girls."

DMHGDMHGDMHG

Hermione, Ginny, Luna Lovegood, and Mandy Brocklehurst apparated into the Ambrosine Village, a magical village much like Hogsmeade, but much more high-end. The buildings were mainly Victorian gothic architecture, and looked almost imposing; however, walking through the streets proved that it had the same homey feeling as Hogsmeade did. The shops were more elegant of course, being that the majority were designer names, but still emitted a welcoming feeling.

They came across a store called _Abella_, which mainly sold formal gowns and robes.

Luna and Mandy bounded in excitedly, with Ginny behind them, and Hermione reluctantly following.

The first thing Hermione saw was a woman trying on a wedding dress.

Ginny seemed to have spotted it too, because she turned to Mandy and Luna. "Guys, maybe we should go somewhere else." She said quietly, discretely nodding her head in the direction of the lady trying on the dress.

"Oh crap," Mandy said, her eyes widening. "I totally forgot." She went back to Hermione and took her hand. "Let's go to that shop across the way, Mia."

"You guys, I'm fine!" Hermione insisted. "You can't keep walking on eggshells around me."

"We're not." Ginny said. "We're just bored of this store." She said dismissively.

"Already?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Yeah. Come on."

Ginny pulled Hermione by the arm into the shop across the way, which just happened to be a bookstore.

"Ok Mia. We can spend as much time in here as you want. And you can also buy anything you want – Harry's treat." Ginny said.

"You guys just feel sorry for me and are just trying to distract me," Hermione said in an accusatory tone. "You're making me feel really pathetic right now."

"Oh hush, Mia," Luna said. "Go dive into all the books."

Hermione looked at her and then at all the books, finally deciding that she might as well make the most out of this trip.

DMHGDMHGDMHG

Four hours later – two of them spent in the bookstore and the other two everywhere else – the four of them plopped themselves down at the bar in one of the many restaurants of Ambrosine.

They had actually had a very enjoyable day – laughing and gossiping and talking about anything and everything. Sitting down at a large table, they all ordered their drinks and didn't seem to be worn out at all.

Hermione checked her pager and cell phone to make sure someone from work hadn't tried to contact her throughout the day. St. Mungo's and the Auror office had decided to turn to _some_ Muggle technology after realizing how efficient and easy it was to use.

Seeing that no one had tried to contact her, she quickly put it away and took her drink from the waitress that had just come to deliver the drinks. Suddenly, Hermione saw the door to the bar swing open, and a loud group of guys sauntered in. One of them just happened to be Harry. And the other two happened to be Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, who also just happened to be Luna and Mandy's boyfriends, respectively. There was one other guy with them that Hermione didn't recognize. He had dark brown hair and green eyes, and was _very_ muscular and built – he looked like an athlete of some sort.

Ginny looked up and smiled in surprise. "Honey! What are you doing here?" She stood up and went over to Harry.

"The guys and I decided to grab a drink after watching a Quidditch match."

"You guys should come sit with us!"

"We don't want to intrude on your girls' night." Harry said.

"Let me check with the girls then." Ginny said, turning to Hermione, Luna, and Mandy. "Is it okay if these fine gentleman join us, ladies?"

"Hmm," Mandy said, pretending to think about it. "I'm ok with it, but it's really up to Mia."

"Well… I guess that's fine…" Hermione said, not really caring either way.

"Great!" Harry said, and grabbed a chair near his wife.

The other guys crowded in as well, sitting next to their respective girlfriends, while the unknown guy sat across from Hermione.

"So Harry, who's your new friend?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, I totally forgot you guys didn't know him! This is Liam Edwards – he's training with the Auror office. Liam, this is my wife Ginny, Luna Lovegood, Mandy Brocklehurst, and Hermione Granger."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Liam said, looking only at Hermione, a small smirk on his face.

"Likewise," Hermione said.

"So Hermione, what do you do for a living?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"I'm a mediwitch. I actually work with the Auror office though. I heal whatever injuries they sustain on duty, but sometimes I am called into the hospital."

"Ah, you must be quite a witch, then."

"The brightest witch of our age!" Harry said proudly.

Hermione blushed.

"Is that so?" Liam asked amusedly.

"So… do you play any sports?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. I play Quidditch - ,"

"Of course you do," Hermione mumbled under her breath.

"And I play a couple of Muggle sports as well. My dad was Muggleborn, so he taught me how to play football and basketball."

"That's nice."

"Yeah, my dad was great. I was great too actually, especially at basketball. I really took a liking to Quidditch though, and I think it might have been my calling, but I know how competitive getting onto a professional team is, so I just decided to become an Auror. The next best thing, you know, being able to kick arse everyday. I probably could have placed football professionally too, but I guess I never really thought about it…"

Hermione zoned out. This guy just kept going on and on about himself and she really didn't want to hear anymore. It was clear to her that Liam was just as self-centered as any other guy she had dated. Looking around, she saw the other three women deeply engrossed in conversation and romance with their own men. It suddenly hit her. This was a set-up. And it was most likely Ginny's idea.

The door of the bar creaked open, but Hermione couldn't see if it was anyone she knew. Liam was still talking, but had changed the subject.

"So anyways, Hermione… are you free tomorrow night or will it cost me?" He laughed loudly.

Hermione's eyes widened. _Did he actually just say that? Oh for Merlin's sake._

"Actually, I believe she has plans tomorrow night with me," A deep, familiar voice said.

Hermione looked up and saw none other than Draco Malfoy standing there, an amused twinkle in his grey eyes. He sat down and put his arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"Oh?" Liam asked. "And who are you?"

"Draco _Malfoy._ And you?"

A spark of recognition flashed in Liam's eyes. "Liam Edwards. So how do you know this fair lady?"

"Oh, we go way back. Used to go to school together." Malfoy replied.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, well, it was nice to meet you, Liam, and we really have to get going," Hermione said, looking at Malfoy. "We'll see you around."

She looked over to Harry and Ginny, who looked absolutely stunned. "Goodbye everyone!"

With that, Hermione and Malfoy walked out of the bar, laughing at their stunned expressions.

"Thank you, Malfoy, for saving me."

"Yeah, well, when I heard that line he gave you, I just felt incredibly sorry for you. I wouldn't wish that upon I wouldn't wish that upon even you."

"I can't believe that those two would actually try to se me up. And with an imbecile like him."

"Wait, I thought you were getting married."

"I was supposed to be. Today, actually. But it got called off. And now, Ginny's trying to distract me by setting me up."

"Ah. And that's when I saved you."

"I think it was totally worth it though, just to see their completely stunned expressions."

"I agree." Malfoy said, a smirk on his face. "Anyways, I have to go. See you around, Granger."

"Yeah, see you."

**A/N: Ok that was a piece of crap. It was basically just filler. I promise the next chapter will be more interesting. Now I'm kinda scared to ask for reviews. LOL jk… maybe. So please review. And be nice. ; )**


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed! I am so sorry for the really long wait!

Chapter 3:

Hermione walked into the Ministry of Magic the next morning, nursing a large cup of coffee. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a half-ponytail and she was wearing a Muggle business suit underneath her open robes.

As she walked to the elevators, she nodded and smiled at everyone she knew, feeling particularly cheerful today.

When Harry saw her, his face turned into one of complete surprise. "Mia?" He asked cautiously.

"Hello, Harry!" Hermione replied, beaming.

"Are you okay?"

"What? Yes, of course! Why would you ask me that?" Hermione asked as she walked to her office and took off her coat.

"You seem awfully cheerful today, considering yesterday was… you know…," Harry said, trailing off.

"Well, I can't mope around about the same thing forever, can I?"

"No, but it's still been a relatively short amount of time. Unless," Harry said, realization dawning on his face, "Someone slipped you a Cheering Potion."

"Well, I'm pretty sure Ginny did and I'm going to kill her after this wears off."

"Ah, that's more like it," Harry said, relieved. "But please don't kill my wife. I am _quite _fond of her, you know."

"Yes, yes, I know, Harry. But she will be hearing from me soon." Hermione said, sitting down at her desk. "So, what's new for today?" She started opening and sorting through the letters on her desk.

"We're having the new recruits come in today and do some more training, but other than that, not much."

Just then, a gaggle of noises walked into the Auror offices in the form of said recruits. Hermione looked over and saw Liam from last night, unintentionally making eye contact.

"Crap," Hermione muttered, instantly feeling the Cheering potion wearing off. She looked back down at the papers on her desk. Liam broke away from the group and knocked on the open door, not even hesitating to enter the office.

"Liam, my man!" Harry greeted him cordially, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Hello Harry! And Hermione, how are you doing today?" Liam asked with a smirk on his face.

"I'm well, thank you." Hermione said, politely. "If you two would excuse me, I'm needed at St. Mungo's urgently."

"Yes, yes we'll leave the brightest witch of our age to her business," Harry said, closing the door behind him.

Hermione sighed in relief and picked up her briefcase before stepping into the fireplace and yelling, "St. Mungo's!"

DMHGDMHGDMHG

Harry and Ron watched as their trainees completed strength training, and moved on to the tedious obstacle course where they would have to fend off spells and show their skill under pressure.

"Thank Merlin we're done with all this," Ron said, flinching as he watched one of the trainees plant face down into the ground.

"I'll say." Harry replied. "So Ron, how are things going with Eden or Ellen or Elizabeth or what's-her-face that you're dating right now?"

"You mean Megan?" Ron asked. "Elaine was the last one."

"Yeah…I've just stopped keeping track of all the women that you bring home."

Ron sighed. "We broke up. I can't seem to keep a woman around for more than a week. I don't even know why I keep trying."

"Yes you do… you want to find the person that you're meant to spend the rest of your life with, the person to start a family with. You want to find your soul mate." Harry said.

"Wow, I think married life has turned you into a sap, mate."

"What can I say? I don't know what I would do without Ginny." Harry shrugged. "Don't give up mate. You'll find the right person."

DMHGDMHGDMHG

Hermione hurried down the halls of St. Mungo's, hoping to finish whatever business she had at the hospital quickly, and be able to return to her office at the Ministry. However, it seemed as if this would not be the case.

"Mediwitch Granger!" A nurse called out, running up to her. "You are needed immediately in surgery!"

"Surgery? Why didn't anyone notify me in the letter I received earlier?" She asked, hurrying into her office to change into her scrubs.

"I don't know, ma'am. All I know is that the family of the patient requested the best Mediwitch there is, and that would be you."

Hermione didn't even take notice of the flattery. "What's the diagnosis?"

"The patient has three broken ribs and a broken left leg. There are contusions and lacerations covering his entire torso, and even his face. He seems to be paralyzed from the waist down, and the scars on his torso seem to indicate that he was attacked by an animal of some sort. The thing that is most curious is a scar that is right in the middle of his body, which is glowing dark purple. We induced a coma because of the amount of pain he seemed to be in. From the looks of it, I'm pretty sure he was attacked."

"Let me talk to the family first." Hermione said, taking the file from the nurse. Opening it, she saw the patient's name: Blaise Zabini. Hermione gasped. She had known Blaise from school, and had had to work on projects with him. He had been a quiet person in general, not one to spout out Pureblood ideology like the rest of his house. When he was alone with his friends, he was energetic and flamboyant. Blaise had always been kind to her, and had become a close friend to her throughout the years.

As she arrived in front of the surgery rooms where Blaise currently was, Hermione found a woman pacing in front of it. The woman had wavy, long black hair, stunning cold blue eyes, and olive colored skin. She held herself in an almost regal fashion, her pointed features somewhat intimidating. It was easy to tell that she was a Pureblood. However, as Hermione came up to her, the woman's eyes softened and a look of pure concern and worry crossed her face. "Healer Granger?"

"Yes, Signora Zabini. Have they told you anything?"

She nodded.

"Ok, I'm going to go in there and start fixing him up. I'll give you an update as soon as I'm done," Hermione said.

Walking into the room, Hermione had to try her hardest to keep her emotions in check. Despite the fact that this was her friend, she could not let such a weakness get in the way of his healing.

After taking a look at the x-rays, Hermione opened a cabinet in which she stored some of the more common potions she used, and took out everything she needed. She opened up one of the vials and poured it over Blaise's body, rubbing them in with a washcloth. She pointed her wand and put her other hand up, letting all of her magic flow through her. Muttering a spell, she saw a glow of white beginning to form, indicating to her that it was working. Hermione worked her way down Blaise's body, getting rid of the bruises and minor cuts, while at the same time healing the broken bones. This left the animal bites, the purple scar, and the paralysis. Taking out two more potions, she repeated the same process, surprised to see that the animal bites had disappeared as well.

Hermione put down the potions, confused. Normal werewolf bites would not have just disappeared. It was something else that attacked him. But what?

She went out to the waiting room where Signora Zabini was waiting. The older woman immediately stood up, her face filled with hope and anxiousness.

"Well?"

"From what I can tell so far, he should be fine. The bruises and cuts are healed, and the paralysis can be healed as well. I will need to treat him every day, twice a day, with a potion and a spell, in order for him to regain full mobility. However, I cannot start that treatment until tomorrow, for fear that the other potions that I've used already will react badly with it. We will have to keep him comatose for the next week. However, one thing that confused me is this: the animal bites on his body have disappeared completely. Normally, this would not be the case. Do you know what happened to Blaise, Signora Zabini?" Hermione asked kindly.

"All I know is that he was attacked. His friends would probably be able to tell you more."

"Zia! I just got your message! How is he?" None other than Draco Malfoy came hurrying towards them. He nodded curtly to Hermione before turning back to Luciana Zabini.

Millions of thoughts ran through her head as soon as she saw him. Why had he been so nice to her and actually helped to save her from being hit on by Liam? What did that mean? Were they actually more than enemies or acquaintances? Or was he just toying around with her, trying to confuse her even more? Hermione shook the thoughts from her head and listened as Blaise's mother filled Malfoy in on everything that was going on.

"Malfoy, do you know what happened to him? I need to know, for a complete diagnosis." Hermione said, her professionalism back in business.

"I have an idea." He replied, his grey eyes suddenly distant and colder than usual. "Is there somewhere more private we can go and talk?"

"Yes, we can go to my office. No one will disturb us there." Hermione said, leading the way. She gave orders to a nurse to put away any potions she herself might have forgotten to put away or clean up.

Upon arriving at her office, Hermione muttered, "_Muffliato," _not wanting any unwanted eavesdroppers. She motioned for the two to sit.

"Well, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, expectantly.

"Patience, Granger!" He snapped. "I'm getting to it."

Hermione glared at him.

"There's a group of people still around that aren't quite ready to leave the Dark Lord's cause behind. But they don't call themselves Death Eaters. They call themselves the Order of Kali, which refers to the Indian goddess of destruction, as I'm sure you know. This order is committed to purifying the Wizarding community as the Dark Lord wasn't able to. They have some more hidden agendas, but unfortunately, I'm not quite sure what they are yet. No one knows who initiated it. All I know is that they've been trying to recruit new members – and Blaise is an example of what happens when you refuse them. I'm surprised they didn't kill him, though."

"Do you know if any of them were known Death Eaters, or just people who supported the cause but were never vocal about it until now?"

"Both."

"We need to tell the Aurors right away, especially if they're trying to hurt people."

"I highly doubt they'll be able to do anything, Granger. We're dealing with not only dark, but extremely powerful ancient magic here."

"It doesn't hurt to try. And plus, we have Harry on our side."

Draco snorted. "I don't think Mr. boy-who-just-wouldn't-die would be able to do anything without his sheer, dumb luck. And I highly doubt that lady luck would favor even him THAT much."

"Just remember, Malfoy, that that boy who just wouldn't die saved your arse from going to Azkaban."

Draco sneered. "Yes, thank you for rubbing it in, Granger. If it weren't enough that I have the whole goddamn wizarding community still giving me hell for my actions before the war, however justified they were, I just need to have you rub it in that I owe Harry Freakin Potter, the one person that I've hated most in my life aside from the dark lord, my goddamn life."

"_Justified?_ Your actions before the war were justified? How so, Malfoy? Please, enlighten me!" Hermione yelled angrily.

"Children!" Signora Zabini yelled. "This is not the time to be arguing. Your friend is lying in a coma and could have died today. I suggest you both calm down and do whatever it takes to catch the group that did this to my son. Draco, you are a second son to me, but I am going to have to ask you to leave for now. If you are here, I fear that Healer Granger will neglect her work in order to plan out a strategy to kill _you_. So please, leave until the both of you have calmed down."

At that last comment, both Hermione and Draco grudgingly smiled.

"Yes, Zia. As you wish. I'll be back tomorrow." With that, he left Hermione's office.

"I will also leave you to your work, Healer Granger."

"Please, Signora, call me Hermione."

"Hermione, dear, I have the utmost faith in you. I need to go take care of some business, but I shall be back in a few hours. Keep me updated."

"I will."

**A/N: A little more serious chapter! Please review!**


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